Method of preparing dry mats for stereotyping.



J.. F. FREY.

METHOD OF PEEPARING DRY MATS FOR. STEREOTYPING.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 26, 1913,

Patented Apr. 1 1, 1914.

UNITED STATES PA FQE- JOHN FREMONT FREY, .or mnrann'roms, nmrana.

METHOD OF PREPARING DRY MATS FOR STEREOTYPING.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN FREMon 'r FREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Method of Preparing Dry Mats for 'Stei'eotyping, of which the following is a give so-great depth of impression, be-

sides causing injury to the type in molding. However, the use of wet mats requires a longertime, so that, especially inthe rush of getting out a @511 extra edition of a newspaper, when every second counts, dry mats are much used althoughthey have not heretofore given as good results as the wet mats. The delay in the use of the wet mats, and an unavoidable delay, is that due to the necessity for the drying of the wet mats on the drying table, and perhaps for heatingup the drying table as in the case of-an un- .ingt

expected extra, after the mat has received the type impression.

With my invention,- dry mats are made softer and more plastic, so that they take the type impression more readily and accuratel and with greater depth, by condition hem in a special form of huinidor which I have devised.- By this humidor the dry mats are made humid uniformly, so that they better take the type impression, but they are not made wet and do not require drying on the. drying table. After the properly conditioned dry mat has received the type impression, it is only necessary to place it for a few seconds on the scorcher in the same manner as in the case of unconditioned dry mats and of dried wet mats.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my special humidor, for use in my improved method of preparing matrices" from dry flong m atsh Figure 1 is a vertical longitudi- 7 Specification of Letters Eatent. Application filed February 26, 1913-. Serial no. 750,800.

Patented Apr. id. ieia.

nal section of my humidor, taken substantially onthe line 1-1 of Fig. 2, the matholdingfraine being removed Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2'-2 of Fig. 1, the metholding frame being in place and holding several mats. Fig.3 is a section on the-line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the mauhblding frame n place; Fig. 4 is an isometric view showing the mat-holding frame; Fig. 5 is an isometric view of one of the moisteners of the humidor.

The humidor casing 10 has a cover 11 hinged at 12 and conveniently provided with a hasp 13 whereby it may be fastened in closed position, the casing being substantially air-tight when the cover is closed. On the inner surfaces of the vertical wall of the casing 10 there are provided a number of Vertical guideways 14: opening at the top but partially closed at the bottom by a narrow shelf The guideways 14: receive moisteners l6, conveniently in plate form, and made of some material, such as certain kinds of clay, which absorbs water easily but allows it to evaporate readily therefrom.

To prevent breakage, the moisteners are suitably bound at their edges in a metal binding 17. The moisteners 16, when in place, are sup orted on the shelves 1.5, but project beyon the edges of such shelves so that they may be readily grasped. and lifted out of the guideways 14.,

A mat-holding frame 20 rests on the floor 21 of the casing 10 and is provided with a reticulated floor 22 spaced above the floor 21. Fastened to the upper surface of the floor 22 are a number of parallel, inverted U-shaped braces 23, conveniently of wire,

these braces being spaced from each other to receive the mats 24 to be conditioned. The

braces 23 hold the mats 24 apart and in vertical position,so that the humid air within the humidor may circulate on all sides of such mats and condition them uniformly.

In operation, a number of dry flong mats are placed in the spaces between the braces 23 within the casing 10, and. the moisteners 16, first having been allowed'to absorb a suiiieient. quantity of water, are placed in the guideways 14. The cover 11 now being closed, the moisteners 1*3 yieid their moisture to the air within the casing 10,

which air circulates on all sides of every for much longer than that, the conditioned or humidified mats are removed from the humidor and mold'd in the usual manner under pressure on the exposed type face of the forms of type of which stereotype plates are desired. Then the'matrices thus' formed by the molding of the dry mats are placed for a few seconds on a scorcher, then being removed therefrom and used as molds for casting the stereotype plates desired. The scorcher may be of any suitable type, for

there are several well-known and successful types. The scorching process consists of applying for a short time to the mats a suili= cient degree of heat to drive off the small amount of moisture which is present in humidified dry mats conditioned by my process, as Well as in Wet mats after they have-been dried in the drying table especially if exposed to the atmosphere during the timerequired for preparing them. for casting, this degree of heat ordinarily being such that if applied continuously the mat will be charred or burned. lVet mat-s cannot be applied to the scorche'r without preliminr y drying, as they would be rendered useless by such application on account of the great amount of moisture they contain and on account of their laminated construction.

' One well-known type of scorcher consists -merely of a metal plate, conveniently semicylindrical inshape', heated on the concave side by a gas flame, the mat to be scorched being placed on the convex surface for a few seconds, sufiiciently long to drive out the moisture, but not sufficiently long to burn or char the mat. By having the mats properly conditioned, the type impression is rendered much clearer and sharper and of greater depth, as are also half-tones and other illustrations, than is the case when.un conditioned dry mats are used, and the resultant stereotype plates and prints therefrom are greatly improved. However, the amount of moisture absorbed in the conditioning process of the dry mats is so inconsidcrable that it is not necessary to put them on a drying table, as isnecessary with a wet mat, in order to avoid the possibility of disastrous effects from the presence of moisture when the stereotype plates are cast Thus by my invention the time required for proreduced. especially table in condition for use,-

I claim as my invention:

1. That improvement in the art of pre-' paring amatrix for stereotype plates, comprising the immersion of .a dryunat in a heavily humid gas for a sufficient time to produce the uniform humidification of the mat tosuch a degreeof humidity as to' renwithoutpreliminary drying; the formation of type impression in such humidified mat; and scorching the matrix thus formed.

2. That improvement in the art of preparing a matrix for-stereotype'plates, compr sing the immersion of a dry mat in a heavily humid gas for a suilicient time to produce'the uniform humidification of the mat to such a degree of humidity as to rensuch mat fromthe humidor and the formation of type impression therein; and the prompt scorching of the matrix.

l. That lmprovement in the art of protroduct on of a dry mat into a humidor and the maintenance in a heavily humid state of the air'in such humi'dor and the consequent uniform humidification of such mat to a type i npression therein, the matrix may be immediately scorched; the withdrawal of such inat from the humidor and the formation 5i type impression therein.

,5. .lhat improvement in the art of prepari 1g a matrix for stereotype plates, com prismg the immersion of a dry mat in a substantially vertical position in a heavily humid gas for asufiicienttime to produce the uniform humidification of the mat to such degree of humidity as to render it pliant but still capable of scorching withoi a type impressi n in such humidified mat.

6. That impro ement in the art of prepiring a matrix for stereotype plates, comprising the immersion of a dry mat in .91 position. at an angle to the horizontal in'a leavily humid gas for a suificient time to produce the uniform humidifieation efine ducing a clear stereotype plate is very much i when there is no dry ng der it pliant but still capable of scorching degree such that, after the formation of der it pliant but still capable of scorching v ducing stereotype plates, comprising the mimmediately scorched; the withdrawal of ducing steretoype plates, comprising the inout preliminary drying; and. the formation mat to such a degree of humidity as to render it pliant but still capable of scorching thousand nine hundred and thirteen. Without preliminary drying; and the formation of a type impression in such humidified JOHN FREMONT FEES 5 met, Witnesses:

In witness'whereof, I, have hereunto set 0; M. PRUITT, my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this G. B. SOHLEY.

eighteenth day of February, A. D. one 

